Beauty is in the "I" of the beholder

What would we do without John Tesh? His 30 seconds of wisdom in between Michael Buble and Stephen Curtis Chapman must simply be heard! Take last night for example. He said, "Did you know that the average woman takes 73 minutes to get ready on Monday, but by Friday she takes only 19 minutes to get ready." I would like to call that "average woman" up and ask her how she finds an hour and thirteen minutes for herself on the craziest day of the week?!! Honestly, I think John might be onto something. By the end of the week I am "thanking God it's Friday" and I am ready to be done with the weekly grind.

The Dove company has actually launched a campaign on how we see beauty. I got an email about it just last week. Their target audience are young girls from all over the world. The Dove campaign says "Imagine a world where every girl grows up with the self-esteem she needs to reach her full potential." They are basically spreading the news that your outer beauty doesn't define you, it is what is inside that makes you truly beautiful. While I agree with the idea of what they are saying, and I love the marketing behind the campaign, I think as Christians we are given the gift of taking that idea to a deeper level. A level that is more than skin deep, or personality deep. We can take that message straight to our spiritual heart.

Let me start by asking the question, "How do you feel about your beauty?" Now that my friend is a loaded question! If you are more mature like me (doesn't that sound so much better than wrinkly) you may be feeling that your get up and go has got up and went on certain days. You might be thinking of that question in more of an overall sense of beauty; the sense of spiritual and emotional. Honestly, I think they all apply. Take your outer beauty for example. One of the neatest and hardest things about being in a town for years is seeing everyone age. It is great because you have a reference of what makes them who they are now. The heart ache is when you see what folks have become and it is not for the better.

We have lived and have done ministry in the same town for 10 years! No, I will not say we have seen it all because every now and then something happens, good or bad, and I find myself picking my jaw off the ground. A great example of that would be Erica (I bet by now you have figured out that is not her real name). I have known Erica for years. Her son and one of my sons are in school together. When we came to this town Erica was a real knock out! To say every head turned when she used to walk into a room would have been an understatement. She could have literally been on the cover of any magazine. She was in a word... sexy. Every step, every smile announced her beauty on the outside. I have had the great gift of knowing her, and having some great conversations with her. The sad thing is that she had all of that beauty and she didn't know how to guard it and use it for God's glory (yes I do think you can use your image for God's glory... we are his temple). Fast forward to 2010. Years of different men, drinking, drugs and struggles and this once incredibly beautiful woman is a mere shell of what she once was. She smiles and I see that sweet girl who still desperately needs the Lord and all He can give her. A few heads still turn but it is to use up what she has left. I wish I would have never seen that or several "Ericas" throughout my life time. I pray they find the love of God so the beauty of God's love in their life will shine through.

The love of God is the most powerful thing in your beauty arsenal. We have spanx to hold in what we don't want out, we have lotions to penetrate and lessen the signs of aging, and we have pills to give us more energy on the inside. None of that will ever make us as beautiful as the knowledge and daily presence of God in our life.

My grandmother was a beautiful woman. Though she was quite old when she died, folks of every age came to her funeral. Years of service and caring and living a life for Christ made folks come from miles around. The pastor had known my grandma for years and I will never forget what he said. He said that in all the years of knowing my grandma, she was, to him, the ultimate example of a Proverbs 31 woman. You know, he was right. To me she was very beautiful, but her beauty was stronger than head turning. It was heart turning. Every heart turned when she walked in the room because they knew who had just walked in... a woman of God. I would do well to be one eighth the woman she was when I get to be that age.

So what is important? Outer beauty or inner beauty? Honestly, the answer is YES! Both are important, but for different reasons. We need to love who God has made us outwardly and do our best to care for it. Outward beauty says 'HELLO' to all who come by. My friend Pam (okay that is her real name) and I have a joke. We laugh because when we were young and in school we would say, "Ugh! Let's never be those moms who wear ugly clothes, no make-up, and put their hair in a ponytail at the supermarket!" We laugh because we have eaten those words sooooooo many times! But really, on the whole... BRUSH YOUR TEETH... COMB YOUR HAIR! :) Do your best. Your best may not be super model best, it isn't even that way for most super models. Try your best for you! Your husband will appreciate it, your friends and family will appreciate it, but most importantly you will! You are a child of the King. So, why are you acting like Cinderella pre-Godmother? I'm too____________ and I don't have enough ___________, my _________ are __________. Listen, when we get our new body in heaven, I am getting second helpings on ______________. Till then, I am using what God gave me for His glory... even the stuff I have messed up and am working on.

Inward beauty is even more tricky. Because we can not go to the laser center and zap away the imperfections. Truly the Lord is the only one who can do that. If you are dealing with a lot of anger, let me suggest a book called "Good and Angry" written by Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller. It is a great read that helps you deal with the anger in your life. If you struggle with self-esteem perhaps you can ask an older lady to mentor you. You could also visit sites like Andra Stephens Ministries to find inspiration. Mainly, spend time with the Lord. When you open God's word it is a love letter just for you! You are loved and that is the best esteem builder I know.

Mainly we need to realize that beauty is in the "I" of the beholder. How we see ourselves effects how others see who we are. Sometimes I am at the top of my game outwardly and inwardly in the area of beauty. Recently it has been more like Beauty and the Beast from both perspectives of beauty.:) However, I don't want to stay there and I won't stay there. I'll press on. I'll find what works both for my outer and inner beauty and use it glorify my Father in heaven. Today is a new day, and I can only change what I do for this moment in time, and when I do I want every eye that should turn (my husbands) and every heart to turn and say there goes a woman of God.

What do you think about beauty?

Proverbs 31:30 "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."